Chicken and pork are often baked or braised in maple syrup in the Beauce. This easy recipe for chicken breasts can also be used with a whole, cut-up boiler-fryer chicken.
4 single bone-in chicken breasts
¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried savory leaves
½ teaspoon (2 mL) dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon (1 mL) crushed dried sage
1 onion, thinly sliced
½ cup (125 mL) water or chicken stock
Place flour in a heavy plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. In a large, cast-iron frying pan or flameproof casserole dish, heat butter over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides. Pour maple syrup over and sprinkle with savory, thyme, and sage. Arrange onion slices over top and add water to pan. Wrap a double layer of foil over pan handle if not oven proof, and place pan in preheated 350ºF (180ºC) oven. Bake, basting chicken occasionally with pan juices (add more water or stock, if needed), for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with fork.
A Taste of Québec, 2nd Edition, Copyright © Julia Armstrong, 1990, 2001. Reprinted by permission of Hippocrene Books. For more information visit www.hippocrenebooks.com. To order cookbook call 718-454-2366 or email order@hippocrenebooks.com $16.95 214 pgs. ISBN 0-7818-0902-9